


Runaway

by nanifairy (ktwrites1530)



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Triple Kim - Freeform, after June 12, side Bobhwan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2019-08-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 09:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20468957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ktwrites1530/pseuds/nanifairy
Summary: Bobby is performing at Asian Sound Syndicate in Jakarta, and someone drops in to show his support.





	Runaway

**Author's Note:**

> Content warning: This talks about post-June 12 events, and may trigger some emotions. I don't know what their real thoughts are about what happened since or how they are coping, but I do hope they all get back together as OT7.

They flew him under the radar.

It required a lot of planning—even more than was required for this occasion—and that reminded him that he owed the managers a whole lot for keeping up with him on this. A red-eye flight, booked at the airport itself two hours prior to the flight, so that no one could buy his flight info and reveal that he was leaving the country. He was dressed inconspicuously, the attire reminding him of Junhoe: black bucket hat, black shirt, black sweatpants, sneakers, and a face mask. He didn’t want to draw attention to himself and he had to blend in. 

** _R U THERE ALREADY, HYUNG?_ **

He allowed himself a small smile, tugging the hat he was wearing low as he and another manager—one that nobody knew yet, one who hasn’t been with them to any of iKON’s out-of-the-country trips—walked towards CGK’s immigration.

**_Yes, just landed_. **

They needed a quick getaway and exit, because Indonesia was one of the places with the biggest iKON fanbases, and they couldn’t risk him getting noticed. So there wasn’t any check-in luggage for him—they snuck in all his stuff that he couldn’t hand-carry (like his ten-step skincare routine kit) into the luggage of the manager who was going with Bobby.

** _Thanks for doing this, hyung. Please send my support for him!_ **

He sighed heavily, because it could’ve been a different picture if their world wasn’t upended last June 12th. That was close to three months ago, and it still hasn’t sunk in.

** _Yes, Bin-ah. I’ll message you later._ **

He dropped his head lower, but it was a tad too late as he heard a gasp. “Oh, Kim Jinhwan!” came next, a loud whisper, and he winced behind his face mask. He turned towards the voice, a doe-eyed lady with her hand covering her mouth in surprise. With an eye smile and a curt nod, he raised a finger against his lips, the universal sign of _please be quiet_. The girl nodded, still in shock, and he gave her another nod before scurrying off behind his manager.

It was the day of Bobby’s solo gig, a slot at Asian Sound Syndicate which boasted other powerhouse names like Gray, Crush, Simon & Dominic, and DPR. Everyone in iKON was thrilled for him in getting this exposure, and they were beaming with pride for him. He and Hanbin knew Bobby was going to be _someone_—and he kicked it off when he won SMTM3. He had passion, he had the drive, and above all else, he was inherently _good_.

And this man is his best friend.

So it was a no-brainer for him to devise this scheme to fly him in to show his support, and his decision was reinforced when Hanbin messaged him to do it, as if he was also thinking about it. _Go, hyung. He’s going to appreciate it a lot if you’re there. He’ll need the moral support_.

It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Bobby couldn’t do it—they have strong confidence in Bobby’s talents and skills that he would be able to hype the crowd and give the crowd the performance they deserved.

He could do it. If anyone else could, it was Bobby. Their Kim Jiwon.

But the times were different.

iKON was one man down in the team, a very vital cog in the team gone, and the future was uncertain beyond the Japan tour schedules that they have. An eerie feeling loomed over them ever since June 12: a combination of chaos, ambiguity, silence and noise at the same time. A rush to patch things up the best way they could given what they have and to make themselves ready for their tour, even when it feels wrong.

They knew who to believe and who to stand behind with, but they were artists, too—professionals who signed contracts that they couldn’t easily walk away from.

If they could, they would’ve been out the door, too, on June 12.

Jinhwan scrolled through the other notifications on his phone, and a small smile played on his lips when he noticed a couple.

** _Hyung, you there? _ **

** _Do you think I got this? _ **

He was right. Hanbin was right. Even though 95% of the time Bobby was showing a façade of pure confidence and positivity, there were days when he needed a little bit of boost.

Jinhwan didn’t reply. They were approaching immigration, and the sooner he gets cleared, the sooner he gets to Bobby.

****

Jinhwan heard his bones crack when he stretched his body, right before knocking in front of Bobby’s door. It was almost 10AM, and he knew Jiwon was a morning person. He badly wanted to take a shower, and maybe a nap on a legit bed.

He lifted his hand to knock but—

“Hyung?”

Slowly, he turned, and Bobby was there, a glass of orange juice in one hand and a piece of toast in the other. Confusion and amusement showed on his face, and then after another split-second, the latter won.

“Holy shit, you’re here,” Bobby whispered, walking towards him, surprising Jinhwan with a hug. “_You’re here_.”

“Aish, Bobby, it’s cold,” Jinhwan said, wriggling in Bobby’s arms, because some of the orange juice that was in Bobby’s hand spilled down the older guy’s back while in the hug.

Bobby released him, a sheepish smile on his face. Jinhwan grabbed the half-eaten toast in Bobby’s hand and started to eat. “I’m starving,” he said in between munches. “And I need to lie down.”

“Oh yeah,” Bobby said, fishing the room key from his pocket. He unlocked his hotel room and Jinhwan entered, making a beeline for Bobby’s unmade bed. He flopped down on the bed, letting his feet dangle over the edge, and he sighed.

“I heard you needed someone,” Jinhwan said, as Bobby flopped down on the bed next to him, making the older guy bounce on it. “And for the record: you got this. You always do, Kim Jiwon.”

Beside him, Bobby also let out a heavy sigh of his own. “Last night, I thought… this could’ve been me and Hanbinnie? If the sub-unit pushed through and…” His voice trailed, and he heaved another sigh. They were silent for a while, and then he felt Jinhwan’s hand, patting the bed, as if looking for something.

Jinhwan’s hand found Bobby’s, clutching at it, and Bobby didn’t pull back.

“Our lives would’ve been so different right now,” Bobby whispered, and Jinhwan swallowed the lump in his throat. “We were supposed to have a comeback, supposed to—” Bobby paused, letting out a shaky breath. “We were supposed to still have him with us.”

“I know.”

“We started this together. All three of us. You, me, and him.”

“I know,” Jinhwan repeated.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Bobby said, his voice breaking at the end, and Jinhwan turned to face him. Tears were already brimming in Jinhwan’s eyes, and when he blinked, the first of them fell.

This wasn’t the first time they had talked about this, but it didn’t make it any easier. The longer Hanbin was away, the more they wondered if they would ever get him back again. _How can this happen to someone like him? _

“I know,” the older guy said again. “I miss him every day.”

Bobby turned towards him, nodding. “Me, too,” he admitted, biting his lower lip when it quivered. They stared at each other for a while before Jinhwan let out a loud exhale, forcing a smile on his face.

Using his free hand, he wiped his tears dry. “Come on, Jiwon. I didn’t fly all the way here just so we could cry together. I’m here to give a pep talk.”

The younger guy chuckled, giving his hyung’s hand a squeeze before releasing it. “I think I already know the contents of the pep talk. I know I got this, hyung, and—”

“You do!” Jinhwan said, sitting up, eyes suddenly bright and intense. “So why the heck would you even doubt it?”

Bobby, stumped, didn’t speak.

“Jiwon, you’re one of the most passionate performers I’ve seen out there. The way you spit fire when you rap and your charisma onstage… Jesus, we’ve known each other half our lives, do I really need to feed your ego right now?”

Bobby guffawed, the combination of Jinhwan being frustrated and trying to be a supportive hyung amusing him. “So are you admitting I’m a better rapper than you? You did say you can beat me.”

Jinhwan rolled his eyes, punching Bobby on the shoulder, making the younger guy wince a bit. His hyung’s small fists pack a mean punch. “You’ve always been the better one than me, Kim Jiwon.”

Bobby laughed, sitting up. “Glad we settled that.” He was about to say something else when Jinhwan’s stomach let out a loud grumble, making them both pause, struggling to stop themselves to being the first one to laugh.

Jinhwan lost, letting out a chuckle. He scratched his head, patting his stomach. “I haven’t eaten since dinner last night,” he said, his cheeks red.

The younger one slid down the bed, and then pulled Jinhwan up to stand. “Come on. I’ll treat you for breakfast. Least I can do since you flew all the way here,” he offered, but Jinhwan shook his head, flopping back down on the bed.

“Room service,” he said instead. “I didn’t hide from all the fans just so you could expose me by eating at the hotel restaurant.”

“Right,” Bobby said with a snap of his fingers. “I’ll order the usual stuff you want?”

“Yes please,” Jinhwan said, his eyes slowly closing as they become heavy with sleep. He could vaguely hear Bobby talking to someone on the phone, and he drifted, until he felt someone tugging at his feet.

Jinhwan sat up, startled, only to see Bobby at his feet, struggling to remove his shoes. “Sorry,” Bobby said, giving him a toothy smile. “I just want you to be comfortable.” Jinhwan nodded, still sleepy, laying back down on the bed as Bobby tried to untie his laces. Once Bobby loosened up his shoes, he kicked them off, and then patted the space next to him.

“Just be here, too,” Jinhwan said, and he was met with silence. He thought Bobby had already left him, declining the invite to lay next to him, until he felt Bobby’s weight on the bed. The younger guy slid next to him, covering them both with the blanket.

“I’ll wake you up when the food arrives, hyung,” Bobby said softly.

“Okay,” Jinhwan whispered back, drifting to sleep with a warm Bobby next to him.

****

Jinhwan stood there, at the side of the stage, hands in the pocket of his jeans. He kept his baseball cap low even though it wasn’t needed anyway; he was backstage and was wearing a staff’s ID, and the staff barely give him a glance. Bobby was next, and Jinhwan turned to the younger guy beside him. He bounced side to side on the tips of his shoes, hands also in his pockets, eyes on the floor and head bowed as if in a silent prayer.

Jinhwan nudged him, and Bobby gave him a small, nervous smile when he looked up. He knows that Bobby could see what he did—a big portion of the crowd were iKONICs, konbats raised in the air, like red lights showing the way.

They were waiting for him, and it was time.

It was _his_ time.

Jinhwan held out his hands towards Bobby, and the younger guy took them, big hands engulfing his small ones. “One for the road?” Jinhwan whispered, and Bobby nodded. They lowered their heads and closed their eyes. Bobby was squeezing Jinhwan’s hands in his in tiny pulses, as he uttered his prayer in a low voice that only Jinhwan could hear. He was praying for a good show, for the safety of the fans who were watching, for him on the stage, and the staff that was backing him for this performance. 

And right before Bobby could whisper his ‘amen,’ Jinhwan cut in. “Please let Jiwon be the light that inspires people. Thank you for giving him the opportunity to share his talent to the world. He knows he’s gonna kill it—he just needs to hear it from me.”

Bobby chuckled, giving Jinhwan’s hands a tight squeeze. He whispered his amen, and then released Jinhwan’s hands. “You got this. Go,” Jinhwan said, patting him on the shoulder and giving him a wink.

Bobby nodded, accepting the microphone that was handed to him. He took a couple of steps towards the stage and was almost there when he turned to Jinhwan and said, “Hyung—”

But the first notes of first song started to play, and Bobby glanced at the stage, and then back to Jinhwan, a torn look flashing on his face.

“It’s okay, I know. Go,” Jinhwan said, urging him with his hands, pointing to the stage.

“Okay,” Bobby said, winking, and then he was out there, welcomed by a crowd that screamed for him.

-THE END-

**Author's Note:**

> Leave your feedback/feelings here, DM me on Twitter @kecachata, or leave a message on my CC: https://curiouscat.me/kecachata


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